Had Brett VanderKamp declared his campaign just a month or two earlier, he may well be in his second term in the Michigan Senate right now...Instead, VanderKamp is still doing alright: he's in the midst of a major expansion for his beer company, New Holland Brewery.

Vanderkamp lost to then State Rep. Arlan Meekhof in a heated 2010 primary to determine who would represent Ottawa County in the State Senate. VanderKamp grabbed nearly 21,00 votes to Meekhof's 25,901.

VanderKamp had only declared in March 2010, Meekhof had been basically running since January of 2007, a couple more months on the trail could have swung the race for Brett. But I digress, he lost a barn-burner, sticking us with Arlan.

Nor did he forgive... Meekhof is not the forgetful type when it comes to his enemies, and VanderKamp and Storey may well top the list. I'm sure that I am not far behind.. ;) :)

The race was immensely brutal, with VanderKamp exposing Meekhof's record again and again, getting to the point where VanderKamp stunned Meekhof at a debate, leaving him speechless after saying he should drop out because of charges he significantly exaggerated his resume to voters.

Even on Meekhof's Facebook page, remnants of the war remain. In a detailed note, Team Meekhof is on the defense against VanderKamp's charges and request Meekhof withdraw.

“This brazen personal attack is just the latest in a line of desperate attempts for attention by a candidate with no new ideas,” said Bob DeVries, a member of Meekhof's campaign team. “VanderKamp's demand for Meekhof to withdraw must be the only way he thinks he can win the race, and it seems he has forgotten that the voters get to decide.”

Meekhof also actually had the guts to claim he was the only job creator in the race...while running against a small business owner!

Fast forward to 2015, Meekhof refuses to let Storey win a seat in the State House after daring to oppose him so brazenly in a previous election.

"Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, who represents neighboring Ottawa County, could become influential in that race because of disdain for Storey, who ran the campaign of Meekhof’s 2010 GOP primary opponent, Brett VanderKamp.

“A lot of things that were done by my opponent’s side were not well received,” said Meekhof, who endorsed Whiteford last year but hasn’t taken sides yet in the upcoming primary. Meekhof said he won’t support Gamrat or Storey."

"Michigan’s Voice appears to be a Richard McLellan / Eric Doster effort, but they are certainly fronting for someone else. Mary Doster just happens to be the Treasurer of GLEP, so Michigan’s Voice has a clear connection to GLEP. Mary Doster also happened to be the Treasurer of the now dissolved Safe Roads Yes! (BoE 517218) committee which spent lavishly to promote Proposal 2015-01 earlier this year. Michigan’s Voices uses the same address as Safe Roads Yes!, as well...

Senate Majority Leader Arlen Meekhof also has his hand in this race. Senator Meekhof bears a grudge against James Story, who ran the campaign of Brett Vander Kamp, Meekhof’s 2010 primary opponent. Senator Meekhof’s Moving Michigan Forward Fund II PAC (BoE 516287) pumped $ 10,000 into the Michigan Freedom Network PAC (BoE 516317) on 07 October. Michigan Freedom Network is another PAC whose Treasurer just happens to be Mary Doster, although it uses a different address. Interestingly, it has no registration on file with Michigan LARA, unusual for a legitimate PAC.

Meekhof’s MMFF2 contribution appears to be a partial ‘backfill’ for $ 24,000 that MFN gave to GLEP on 29 September, and $ 32,000 of polling they contracted out to Public Opinion Strategies. Has to be the campaign against Courser and Gamrat. Can you think of any other state level issues which arose just before 29 September?"

Meekhof has a history of laundering his PAC money to other outlets to do his dirty work.

Last year, Meekhof, along with State Rep. Joe Haveman, donated thousands of dollars to the 616 PAC to attack Geoff Haveman in a horrendous smear mailer centered around me.

Jesse Osmer, Chair of the 1st District Republican Party as well as the District Director for retiring Congressman Dr. Dan Benishek, has announced he's running for State House in the 106th District.In a statement via Facebook, Osmer said:"After years of helping elect Republicans across our region, and state, and with encouragement from grassroots activists, friends, and family; I have made the decision to continue doing my part to ensure Michigan remains the comeback state by seeking to represent the 106th House District in Lansing. I look forward to the coming months, and adding to the outstanding support I've already received."

_______________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

A front group seemingly formed for the sole purpose of attacking 80th District State House candidate Jim Storey has surfaced, and the man behind it may surprise you.

The flyer claims that Jim Storey is a liberal and a friend of President Obama...

Storey, along with Mary Whiteford and former State Rep. Cindy Gamrat, are the leading contenders in the Allegan County based House district. Former County Commissioner Bill Sage is also running, among others.

Mary Whiteford

According to Chad Livengood at The Detroit News, the group was founded at the request of the Michigan Republican Party's lawyer Eric Doster.

"McLellan initially said he had nothing to do with the organization when contacted Thursday by The Detroit News.

After a reporter explained the organization was incorporated under his signature, McLellan replied: “You’re right. I am involved in that.”

Doster, who also is general counsel for the Michigan Republican Party, did not return a message Thursday seeking comment."

Jim Storey

>>>Hard-hitting flyers are part of politics, however, Doster's overt role in the primary while serving as General Counsel to the MIGOP is as disturbing as it is unacceptable. Will there be any ramifications from Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel?

Their darn well should be. When party big wigs at the MIGOP in Lansing interfere with local elections via sketchy flyers and other means, any bit of unity in the party that remains is diminished as the frustration with the grassroots element only grows. This has been business as usual with party leadership for a long, LONG time.

Ronna promised to be a grassroots Chair-will she deliver? This situation will be immensely telling...

Cindy Gamrat

The flyers are below, via Chad Livengood:

_______________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Attorney General Bill Schuette with wife Cynthia, son Billy, and daughter Heidi

By Brandon Hall

(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com)

I am a fan of famed Michigan based journalist Jack Lessenberry. I don't agree with all of the liberal writer's views, but he often does a great job of spotlighting important issues.

For instance, he was one of the only members of the Michigan press corps to hold Arlan Meekhof accountable earlier this year for his outrageous Senate rules change hindering media and public access to Senate documents.What should have been a major story wasn't even covered by most outlets-Jack covered it.This week, Lessenberry had a blistering attack of Attorney General Schuette. Two parts of it, one political and one personal, struck me as just complete BS.He wrote:"He stabbed Gov. Rick Snyder — his fellow Republican — in the back last winter by denouncing Proposal 1, the governor's attempt to get voters to raise the sales tax to fix the roads, something that even the conservative Detroit News saw as disgraceful pandering to win Tea Party support.

Schuette, who has an estimated net worth of about $13 million, has never been poor. He grew up in Midland, where his mother helped the family bottom line by managing to marry, in turn, not one, but two top Dow Chemical executives."

First of all, Schuette didn't "stab Snyder in the back" by opposing the worst proposal in modern Michigan history. The historic 60% margin of defeat for Prop 1 is indicative of how horrible it was.If anything, supporting it would have had Schuette bending over for Snyder, who was stuck with the proposal after Arlan Meekhof and the legislature failed to pass its own roads plan. And who gives a damn if the Detroit News supported it? They were dead wrong to back the biggest tax increase in over 50 years, their blessing doesn't somehow make Schuette more radical for opposing Meekhof and company's horrendous money grab.designed to benefit special interests.

And as far as Lessenberry's other point, about Schuette's Mother re-marrying after the death of his Father? Who cares? That's just a low blow irrelevant to anything at hand.Looks like Schuette is getting a taste of what the road to 2018 will look like for a front runner.

_______________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

Since Gov. Snyder took office, Democrats have played politics with the concept of emergency managers for local municipalities plagued with a history of problems and imminently facing a major escalation of those issues. They ignored facts like Gov. Granholm employing the same amount of EM’s as Snyder, as well as the horrendous financial position municipalities that were “taken over” by EM’s had ended up in.

Failure to act would have led to greater problems not only for Michiganders across the state, but for residents of these communities. In 2012, the voters rejected an amendment to the Michigan constitution that would have expanded the power of EM’s, but the previous law remains.

Gov. Snyder deserves significant credit for trying to help parts of our state who needed it the most. He stepped up and, for the most part, has delivered. No reasonable person disputes the amazing comeback Michigan has had since 2009, and Snyder was rewarded with re-election as a result. No, things aren't as great as they could be and Snyder is far from perfect. But in category after category it's clear: Michigan is the best shape it's been in years, "Comeback State" is more than just political rhetoric, it's reality.

However, in Flint, a far darker picture is beginning to develop.

Flint’s local government clearly deserved to be taken over after decades of incompetence and mismanagement. Unfortunately, Emergency Managers cycling through the city didn’t do much better.

Notably, Darnell Earley, now the EM for Detroit Public Schools, was formerly the Emergency Manager for Flint and was vital in the charge to disconnect from the Detroit water system to the Flint River’s.

“This is indeed the best choice for the city of Flint going forward,” he told MLive as the devil water started to flow in Flint last April...

Flint and DEQ officials celebrate the beginning of a switch to FLint River water...

We now know that Earley and Flint's other EM's, along with the Michigan DEQ, didn’t follow federal guidelines for water testing, ignored pleas by local residents time and time again, and even attacked whistle blowing Doctors who tried to shine light on what was happening.

The bottom line, regardless of some financial bright spots, is that the EM system failed Flint. It failed the kids and families there, it failed miserably. The "buck stops" with Governor Snyder, he sent the EM's to Flint and must act soon or begin to risk tarnishing his legacy.

While the director of the DEQ claims this is a learning experience and no one should be fired, a full investigation must take place immediately to get to the bottom of what the hell happened in Flint.

Maybe if we pretend Cindy Gamrat and Todd Courser poisoned the water or “hooked up” in the Flint River, we could get some answers.Flint's kids deserve as much of an investigation as Farmington Hills or Royal Oak, the only question is, will they get it?

Flint and DEQ officials celebrate the beginning of a switch to FLint River water...

The Flint water scandal threatens to overshadow so many great things Gov. Snyder has done, but ignoring it isn't the answer. An investigation may not be the most politically favorable thing for the Governor, but it's the right thing to do and shows he's for real about preventing something like this from ever happening again. Absent an investigation, the Dems have finally found a winning card to play in the political battle over EM's. Is Snyder still "One Tough Nerd?" I think for the most part, yes. The situation in Flint moving forward will be immensely telling._______________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

“Senate Majority Leader Meekhof abruptly left the last quadrant meeting early because Rep. Greimel changed his mind on an income tax cut, so he should know there is no deal,” a spokesperson for Cotter said in part in a statement.

Greimel said he wants to keep talking. But after listening to some of the leaders, it is not clear that the atmosphere is conducive to a deal.

“I want to continue talking with the other quadrant leaders. I made that very clear last week when Arlan rushed out of the room like a child when he couldn’t get his way,” Greimel said.”

If Michigan has any chance of getting a roads deal, Meekhof needs to step up his game, and QUICK.

Pissing off all the major stakeholders hardly seems like a good strategy on roads-will this be indicative of how Meekhof runs his 2018 Gubernatorial campaign he’s so hot to pursue? According to MIRS, the House has voted on their own plan.""With negotiations on a bicameral, bipartisan road-funding plan essentially stalled, House Republicans took the wheel tonight, approving their own $1.2-billion transportation proposal.">>>And it's full of new taxes and fees for Michigan families:

"The main components are:

A 3.3-cent increase in the state's 19-cents-a-gallon gas tax in October 2018, with annual inflationary hikes in 2022 and after;

A 4-cent hike in the 15-cent diesel tax in October 2017 and a 3.3-cent increase in October 2018, with inflationary adjustments in 2022 and beyond;

A 40 percent boost in license plate fees in October 2016, averaging $40 more per passenger vehicle;

A dedicated annual shift from the $9.9 billion general fund to the roads budget, starting at $150 million in 2018-19 and rising to $600 million in 2020-21.

Also included are:

A yearly reduction in the 4.25 percent personal income tax, starting in the 2022 tax year, if revenues outpace inflation. If the provision were currently in effect, the rate in the 2016 tax year would have dropped to 3.92 percent and reduced revenue by $680 million, according to the House Fiscal Agency.

A an expanded income tax credit for homeowners and renters, so more those earning up to $60,000 are eligible — above the current $50,000 limit

and the credit itself is bigger.

Overall, it is expected to raise an additional $1.2 billion annually for roads by 2021. However, initially, it is expected to increase funding by about $400 million."

Stay tuned…

_______________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

Friday, October 16, 2015

WXYZ has confirmed federal authorities are investigating the #Blight$candal Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan finds himself in the hot seat for.

The head of Detroit’s Land Bank is also now out of a job as Duggan’s administration faces intense scrutiny over what the heck is going on with the removal of blighted houses as part of a $100 million federal grant.

Reporter Charlie LeDuff first reported on the scandal last week, showcasing the significant cost increase in removing blighted homes since Duggan has taken office.

What used to cost around $10,000 now costs $16,000 or more. While Duggan claims it’s because of increased quality, Detroiters, along with LeDuff and WXYZ and the evidence on the ground, say otherwise.

LeDuff also notes that Detroit’s costs are around 30% higher than its neighbors who also received federal grants, and nearly 200% higher than Romulus, which received nothing...

“Big questions are being raised in Detroit's battle against blight. 7 Action News has learned federal investigators are looking into how the city is spending 100 Million federal dollars to knock down blighted homes.

The questions come as the cost for home demolitions have gone up. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has explained the increase to city council, but questions persist in the neighborhoods. People want to know where the money is going and why, in too many cases, a mess is left behind…

Mayor Duggan went before city council this week to explain the rising cost of demo jobs. The price went from an average of $10,000 under Mayor Bing to $13,600 in 2014 and $16,400 in 2015.

Duggan says many things factor into the higher price tag, including higher standards and better quality work. "It's more expensive to follow the rules than not,” Duggan said.

7 Action News has been analyzing the numbers and inspecting demolition sites. We discovered cracked sidewalks, top soil with rocks and chunks of concrete. At those same lots, the cost to tear down the homes cost tax payers well above the $16,4000 average. All were at or above $25,000. Contractors say asbestos abatement can drive up the cost of the project.”

>>>Check out Charle LeDuff's latest video HERE:

_______________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

Sources tell West Michigan Politics that members of one or more local Unions are going door-to-door canvassing for Todd Courser’s bid to win his 82nd District House seat back.

Evidently, the Unions believe having Courser win will hurt Republicans and bolster the Democrats… WMP is working to confirm the identify the Union(s), believed to be Democrat affiliated...

They are also worried about looming changes to prevailing wage laws and believe Republicans will be weakened at the ballot box in 2016 if Courser pulls out a win, subsequently making a prevailing wage change even more risky during an election year if they already have to deal with Courser on the ticket.

Courser’s former foe Jan Peabody is the favorite to win, with County Commissioner Gary Howell also a top tier candidate

Thursday, October 15, 2015

“I’ve never seen a lobby more powerful and scary. They make the anti-vaxxers seem rational.”

That's Ellen Heinitz, legislative director for Michigan state Rep. Stephanie Chang, in an interview with the left-leaning Slate website a few weeks ago.

Chang did not rebuke her staffer's comments....

You may remember Chang from previous WMP stories on her disgusting attempt to use a recent tragedy to attack the home school community.

Chang's pushing for for intrusive regulatory measures that wouldn't have even stopped the murder of two kids in her district, an incident that serves as the "inspiration" for her twisted legislation..

A few weeks ago WMP wrote about the "War on Homeschoolers" some are using a tragedy to wage."After two Detroit area children died at the hands of their Mother, a legislator in the area wants to use the tragedy to pass new regulations on home schooled students. State Senator Phil Pavlov blasted the bill, saying it's an attempt to bully home schoolers and he won't even give it a hearing.

I met with some home schooled students in Lansing last week, and I can tell you, the home school community is immensely concerned about this legislation. It's quite disappointing to see this attack on home schoolers, and attached to a tragedy nonetheless? Disgusting.

State Rep. Stephanie Chang

The bill, introduced...by State Rep. Stephanie Chang, would require at least two visits annually with a child from a number of entities the parents would be forced to choose from." The Detroit News also chimed in, writing:

State Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair Township, wrote an open letter Monday to all “Michigan parents” vowing to make sure Chang’s bill never sees “the light of day” in his Senate Education Committee.

Pavlov, who is running for Congress next year, accused Chang of trying to “exploit Stoni and Stephen’s tragic deaths as an excuse to impose new regulations on loving, committed, and law-abiding Michigan families”

“Let’s be clear – this legislation would not have stopped Ms. Blair from killing her children,” Pavlov wrote. “Blair was willing to break every law on the books, and routinely and effectively lied for years to hide her crimes.”"

"if a child is being educated at home, the child's parent or legal guardian shall ensure that all of the following are met:

(a) The child meets in person at least twice a year with a physician, licensed social worker, physician's assistant,individual employed in a professional capacity in any office of the friend of the court, school counselor or teacher, audiologist,psychologist, law enforcement officer, marriage and family therapist, member of the clergy, or regulated child care provider.

(b) The parent or legal guardian maintains and makes available upon request records of the meetings required under subdivision(a), including signed documentation from the individual meeting with the child."

Of note: "The real kicker to this whole saga is that inspections wouldn’t have even helped stop this particular tragedy. For example, the mother had already been investigated by the state for child abuse in 2002 and 2005. The state’s response was to refer her to counseling. Disaster was not averted despite her already being on the state’s radar."

"In a 5-1 vote Tuesday, the State of Michigan's Board Of Education declared war on homeschoolers, backing Democrat State Rep. Stephanie Chang's disgusting "homeschool surveillance" legislation.

The board's sole Republican present, Dr. Richard Zeile, spoke out against the resolution and voted against it. The other Republican, Eileen Weiser, was unable to attend due to a family event-she also vigorously opposes the resolution and blasted it in an email to fellow board members.

According to Jacob Kanclerz of MIRS, the State Ed Board supported a statement "that would throw support behind Rep. Chang's bill to create a homeschooled children registry."